Biblically, there is no greater theological error than confounding justification and sanctification. (“Confounding” means to wrongly unite and confuse.) How do I know? I know because Paul, in the beginning of the book of Galatians, (Galatians 1:6-9) twice damns to Hell (anathema), anyone who TEACHES another Gospel.

What is the biblical definition of "saving faith"? Saving faith is: believing that Jesus is God and man and that the Gospel of His death on the cross for our sins and His resurrection are true.

Saving Faith is ***NOT*** any of these things:
“commitment to Christ,”
“committing your life to Christ,”
“giving your life to Christ,”
“ongoing trust in Jesus,”
“exhibiting a changed life,”
a man-centered “decision,”
“meeting Christ,”
"repenting of sin,"
“submission to Jesus,”
“a relationship with Christ,”
“following Christ,”

nor anything other than believing Who JESUS is and what HE did for you on the cross, as the Bible clearly states. (As important as these other things are.)

Rather, it is GOD who “commits” himself to us.
GOD “gave” His life for our sins.
GOD.
Not humans.

Salvation is received by BELIEVING in Jesus and what HE did. Salvation is NOT received by:
committing,
giving,
lifelong trusting,
exhibiting,
deciding,
meeting,
repenting,
relating,
submitting,
following
—or anything else man can do.

Why today are men preaching and believing that it is US who commit or give our life or do anything for salvation?

This is the height of arrogance and false teaching.

I think the reason that pastors like to combine these two things, regardless of the huge threat to their souls, is that they don't want "do-nothing" believers sitting in their pews.

Well, too bad.

Salvation is a FREE GIFT with ZERO contribution on our part.

Granted, people with faith will produce good works to various degrees, as Jesus says.

Sanctification, however, is strictly a SECONDARY issue.

Once a person believes in Jesus, not only his conscience, but his mind and his emotions and his life will be affected, to a great degree or a small degree.

Permanently saved through a moment of faith in Jesus, (Ephesians 1:13,14) we are grown toward Christian maturity by obedience to God because of the Grace of God and His forever-indwelling Holy Spirit, the encouragement of the Scriptures and the fellowship of other Christians.

The Bible clearly teaches that saving faith is holding certain things to be true.

Saving faith IS “intellectual assent.” (and “spiritual assent,” primarily!)

Jesus asked Martha if she believed. Martha said yes. That’s intellectual assent. Does it also involve the conscience and sometimes also the emotions? Of course.

Faith happens in the heart of man.

The Bible says that saving faith is reckoning it to be true that Jesus is true God and true man, and that this divine man lived the perfect life for us, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again from the dead. If a person believes this, then that person is saved. If a person does not believe this to be true, then his sins have not been forgiven by Jesus, and he is headed for everlasting and intense suffering, pain, and horror in Hell.

Believing is TRUSTING that the facts of the Gospel are true.

Knowing some facts about Jesus will not save you.

But BELIEVING the Gospel message (facts) about Jesus to be true ***WILL*** save you.

No unBELIEVEr can “believe some facts” (the Gospel message) about Jesus, or hold them to be true.

Nor will any believer ever be damned in spite of his belief.

Fusing justification and sanctification is a fatal theological error, because it illegitimately makes good works the ultimate “assurance”of salvation.

But the Bible clearly says, over and over, one hundred and fifty times, that faith in Jesus is the ultimate assurance of salvation. (Here are a few examples: John 3:14-18, John 3:36, John 5:24, John 6:47, John 11:26, Acts 10:43, Acts 16:31, Romans 5:1, 1st Corinthians 15:1-4, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 3:26, Ephesians 1:13-14, Ephesians 2:8-9, 1st Timothy 1:16b, Hebrews 10:39b, 1st John 5:1, and 1st John 5:10-13.

Note how the Bible NEVER tells us to do ANYTHING OTHER THAN BELIEVE to be saved. (It tells us many things to do to grow in faith and fellowship, but those things happen after initial salvation.)

Justification and sanctification are NOT the same things. They are utterly separate things.

The Scripture tells us to “rightly divide” the Word of truth.

To “believe in Jesus” is NOT the same thing as to make a lifetime “commitment” to Him.

“Having a relationship with Jesus” is NOT saving faith.

“Following Jesus” is not saving faith.

To believe in Jesus is to believe in the completed work of Christ, the divine Son of God, on the cross, His burial and His resurrection. (1st Corinthians 1:15)

We can know for sure that we are saved solely through believing in what He did for us, knowing that we believe in Him, and knowing that the Bible promises salvation to everyone who believes, and not by any evidence of good works in our lives.

Are good works an indicator of salvation? They might be, if they are done in and with the Holy Spirit--but they could also be evidence of a person who is trying to save himself by doing those good works.

We are saved not by ongoing faith, but by a one-time moment of faith in which we believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins. After a moment of belief, we are irrevocably and permanently indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God and of His Son, Jesus Christ--forever. We are justified, declared “not guilty,” and we are guaranteed to go to Heaven. (Ephesians 1:13-14.)

AFTER we are saved, THEN we bear the fruit of commitment, submission, relationship, obedience, fellowship, giving our life to Jesus, etc.

But these things are all SECONDARY to salvation by faith in WHAT JESUS DID ON THE CROSS, not what WE can do.

If these things are not secondary, but are preached as the way to be saved, then we are preaching a FALSE GOSPEL of saving yourself through your own good works and your good life, and your commitment, and your follow-through.

It may sound good and appealing to many, but it’s a false gospel.

For over one hundred challenging essays about Christian subjects from a biblical perspective, please visit my website:

http://believersworldview.blogstream.com